The Driving Force Behind Mazda's Performance

It takes more than great engineering to develop great products. It takes a great philosophy.

Mar 10, 2017

"Mazdas have always had this way they rotate," said Dave Coleman, manager of vehicle dynamics for Mazda. "They rotate right around the driver, and they just feel happy to be in a corner." Coming from a manager working for nearly almost all other automotive brands, that quote would read like the company line—something written in a document distributed during new employee orientation. But Coleman works for Mazda, a company that ran with the "Zoom Zoom" tagline for years before supplanting it with the more definitive, "Driving Matters®." Coleman's job, then, is to make sure that every car Mazda sells is imbued with a sense of fun and involvement usually reserved for cars with much higher price tags.

That mission stems from an ancient philosophy known as Jinba Ittai, a Japanese phrase that roughly translates to the relationship between a rider and a horse. The phrase originated during the Kamakura period (1185-1333), a time when military technologies in Japan were advancing at a never-before-seen rate. The horseback archers at the time believed that the best way for them to effectively hit their targets was to develop a "oneness" with the horse, therefore allowing them to move in a more impactful way. It's a belief that has been internalized at Mazda and incorporated into the fabric of each model it produces.

The best performance cars are designed to make it possible for a driver to extract the most out of the machine. This means the seating position is low enough for the driver to not only help lower the center of gravity, but to easily access the controls, see the road, and get all the information he or she needs from the road. It means the steering wheel is perfectly placed next to the shifter or the shift paddles so the driver only has to focus on the road ahead instead of the controls directly in view. It also means the car is balanced in such a way that the driver, like the Japanese archer, has the confidence to push the car.

From the outside it looks as if Mazda makes only one car for the performance-minded driver: The MX-5. And, yes, that car has been praised time and time again for exhibiting what many consider to be the best road manners in a car of any price. Mainly due to its exquisite balance, an interior that fits the driver like a wet suit, and controls that feel as if they belong in a car that costs three times as much. But take a drive in nearly any Mazda model and you'll find that spirit comes through.

It also comes through in the Mazda3. A perennial leader in it the compact space, the Mazda3 packs in a wonderfully balanced and capable chassis. Two punchy nationally aspirated engine choices come together to make every jaunt fun and involving. When most are going the turbocharged route, Mazda has decided to stay naturally aspirated, ostensibly to keep the connection between the driver's right foot and the car's power plant as direct as possible.

As other brands work to limit the actual driving consumers have to do, Mazda, looking back towards its guiding philosophy is opting for a different route. All new Mazda models will come with a technology called G-Vectoring Control, a system that reduces the engine torque when turning to make cornering more controllable. This isn't a system meant to disconnect the driver for the driving the experience, just the opposite. The system extenuates the car's incredible driving characteristics and makes drivers feel like their talent has been kicked up a notch or two.

In other words, it further connects the driver and the car. It keeps the driver in the middle of the action, completely connected and in control. Just like Dave Coleman would want it.

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